GOTTA HAVE HEART.

Once you see something hiding in plain view, you can’t unsee it.

I’ve been fighting this label of being heart centered for a few years or maybe even decades. Maybe it’s the stigma of being ooey gooey. Maybe it’s my fear of labels. Maybe it’s because in our family, we were taught that heart centered equates to weakness. Or maybe I am still grappling with the “V” word. Vulnerability.

I was participating in a group vision board exercise, where each of us submitted an image of what we individually brought to the group. I scanned the Internet for something cleverly inspirational, but my mind kept referring back to a picture that I captured at Horseshoe Bend on a family vacation. I love this photo for so many reasons. It taps into my nature and outdoorsy soul and reminds me of the fun weekend I spent in Page Arizona with my boyfriend and my siblings. But mostly it sparks the adventurer, rooted deep inside of me, and takes me back to a time of exploring the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

In the zoom group, we each took turns explaining why we chose our images. When it came to my interpretation, I talked about the rock formations creating a foundation and the river connecting it together while evolving and creating new paths. I felt great about my contribution being wise and on point. But then my incredibly insightful mentor and coach, Kristen, innocently sent me a ❤️ emoji and wrote “And the heart in the middle!! So heart-centered”.

I looked at the photo again, inquisitively, and then stopped dead in my tracks. In the words of my 19-year-old niece, “Wait, WHAT??”  And then I saw it. A big heart smack-dab in the center of it all.

Immediately, I felt a rush of emotions and a wave of heat flush over my body, and just as quickly, my lizard brain went into fight or flight mode, looking for the ice barrier to guard my heart. Because as you all know, Simon, Garfunkel and Aronoff subscribe to a rock feeling no pain and an island never crying. (For more on this see my previous post, Numinous). By the way, when I told the story to my sister, she quickly mentioned that the heart IS a rock and the formation IS an isolated island. Not surprisingly, this brought me great comfort. Did I mention emotion and vulnerability or dirty words in our family??

ChatGPT defines heart centered as a state or approach, where one operates from a place of deep compassion, empathy and love. Immediately the lizard pokes his head out when I read this. But then ChatGPT explains further that, being heart centered involves making decisions, interacting with others and living life in alignment with one’s core values, emotions and intuition, rather than solely relying on logic or intellect.

Well, shit. Maybe I am heart centered after all.

Exploring this more, I define being heart centered as prioritizing kindness, understanding, and connection in relationships and within the self. Being attuned to your own emotions as well as those of others and allowing the heart’s wisdom to guide you through love, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

I invite you to explore your definition of being heart centered and how you approach life through personal growth and fulfillment.